What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Snail Secretion Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingEthyl Hexanediol
SolventPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Arginine
Masking
Dimethicone
Emollient
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Snail Secretion Filtrate, Betaine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butylene Glycol, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Carbomer, Ethyl Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Arginine, Dimethicone, Sodium Polyacrylate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Allantoin, Palmitic Acid, Panthenol, Xanthan Gum, Stearic Acid, Adenosine, Water, Myristic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantGlycerin
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientNiacinamide
Smoothing
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
Triceteareth-4 Phosphate
EmulsifyingGlycol Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
PEG-2 Stearate
Emulsifying
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPalmitic Acid
Emollient
PEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Snail Secretion Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Aluminum Hydroxide
EmollientSynthetic Fluorphlogopite
Isohexadecane
EmollientEthylhexyl Stearate
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Disodium EDTA
Trideceth-6
EmulsifyingMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Arachidic Acid
Cleansing
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Water, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Cyclopentasiloxane, CI 77891, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Niacinamide, Octyldodecanol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Triceteareth-4 Phosphate, Glycol Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, PEG-2 Stearate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Stearic Acid, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Palmitic Acid, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Snail Secretion Filtrate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Aluminum Hydroxide, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Isohexadecane, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Polysorbate 80, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sorbitan Oleate, Disodium EDTA, Trideceth-6, Myristic Acid, Arachidic Acid, Lauric Acid, Oleic Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholMyristic Acid is a saturated fatty acid. It is naturally found in milk fat. Other sources include palm oil, coconut oil, and butter fat.
Myristic Acid is an emulsifer and cleanser. As an emulsifer, it stabilizes a product by preventing ingredients from separating. Myristic Acid helps clean your skin by acting as a surfactant. It tends to gather oil and dirt on your skin to be easily rinsed away.
One study from 2021 found Myristic Acid to have anti-inflammatory properties.
Learn more about Myristic AcidPalmitic Acid is a fatty acid naturally found in our skin and in many plant and animal sources.
In cosmetics, it is usually derived from palm oil. It serves many purposes in skincare, acting as a cleanser, emollient, and emulsifier.
Interestingly, topically applied Palmitic Acid can be elongated into longer chain fatty acids and ceramides. A 2019 study found low levels of Palmitic Acid lead to slower development of cells, suggesting it plays a role in keeping your skin's renewal process on track.
The CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review) panel determined it safe as used in cosmetics at concentrations up to 13%. It is non-irritating and non-sensitizing in clinical studies.
The culprit behind fungal acne, the Malassezia yeast, feeds on fatty acids with carbon chain lengths between C11-C24. Palmitic Acid, at C16, falls right into that sweet spot.
In vitro studies have shown that Palmitic Acid is one of the fatty acids that induce rapid Malassezia growth in lab settings.
It's worth noting that what feeds yeast in a lab doesn't necessarily feed it on your face since formulation and your skin's chemistry play a bigger role.
Learn more about Palmitic AcidSnail Secretion Filtrate is the excretion from snails. It is an effective moisturizer and promotes collagen production.
A popular nickname for this ingredient is 'Snail Mucin'.
Snail mucin has numerous skin benefits:
On top of this, Snail Secretion Filtrate contains a variety of vitamins and minerals. These include copper peptides, Vitamin A, and Vitamin E. Vitamins A and E are antioxidants. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals that damage skin cells.
Being cruelty-free means a brand does not experiment on animals.
If you're worried about the well-being of the snails, we recommend looking more into the company of the product. Many brands have developed humane methods to collect snail mucin.
There is much debate on this subject. On one hand, this ingredient comes from an animal. On the other hand, many will argue the ingredient is naturally secreted (like a natural by-product) and therefore vegan. If you have reservations, you can look into Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate or Centella Asiatica Extract as alternatives.
Learn more about Snail Secretion FiltrateSodium Polyacrylate is the sodium salt of polyacrylic acid. It is used as an absorber, emollient, and stabilizer.
This ingredient is a super-absorbent polymer - meaning it can absorb 100 to 1000 times its mass in water. As an emollient, Sodium Polyacrylate helps soften and soothe skin. Emollients work by creating a barrier to trap moisture in. This helps keep your skin hydrated.
Stearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.
So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.
You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
